Mt Hood Fusion Pass

fusion passThanks to everyone who rallied out to Double Mountain in support of 44 Trails last week. The event was a great success. We sold loads of t-shirts, had a great raffle and raised valuable funds for future trail development with the silent auction. Your support is much appreciated! We were too busy to capture the night with photos, but it was a full house.

We have two more special auction items available: Mt Hood Fusion Passes. These ski passes are good for a full season of riding at Timberline and Ski Bowl. The pass also gets you into the Powder Alliance where you get three free tickets at all partner resorts. You can get the full lowdown on the Fusion Pass and all its perks at www.mthoodfusionpass.com.

You can submit a bid for one of the fusion passes by e-mailing us at 44trails at 44trails.org. The passes are valued at $495 each. The bidding starts at $350 and bidding ends October 31.

Fire Closure Still in Place

It looks like the USFS is going to maintain its existing fire closure for the foreseeable future. Sorry, but the 44 Trails area will be closed for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The wet and cooler weather has definitely aided in the management and suppression of the Government Flats fire that lead to the road and trail closures but there is still work to be done and fire hazard in the area. The burn has been spotty in areas, which makes mop up efforts a bit more difficult to monitor assess.

What we need is a big multi-day rain cycle. In the mean time, check out rides on Gunsight ridge and the Boulder Lake zone. You can keep tabs on the fire updates at www.inciweb.org/incident/3662/

Latest Fire Closure Update for 44 Trails

USFS 44 Trails closure map

USFS 44 Trails closure map

West winds have cleared the smoke from the Hood River Valley, but the 44 Trails area is still effected by closures. As far as we know, the trails themselves have not been consumed by fire, but there will be active fire suppression efforts in the area and the threat of fire growth, so the USFS is going to keep the zone east and north of the 44 road off limits for a while.

Here’s the latest:

The Mt. Hood National Forest has announced the following closures:

The following campgrounds are closed: Knebal Springs, Lower Eight Mile Crossing, Eight Mile, and Gibson Prairie. Five Mile Lookout is also closed.

The following major trails are closed:

  • Surveyors Ridge # 688 both south and north trailheads
  • Eightmile Loop #496
  • Knebal Springs # 474
  • Bottle Prairie #455
  • North-South #451
  • Oak Ridge #688A
  • Dog River #675
  • Zig Zag #678

Forest Roads 17, 1720, 4430 and all their associated spur roads are closed along with and all other National Forest System Roads and minor trails within the closure area depicted on a map posted on InciWeb.org at http://inciweb.org/incident/maps/3662/

Fire Closures Affect 44 Trails

Aerial view of Government Flats Complex fire

Aerial view of Government Flats Complex fire

Temporary road closures due to the wild fire in Mill Creek (Government Flats Fire Complex) are affecting the 44 trails area.

As per the USFS:Temporary Road and Recreation Area Closure due to Government Flats Fire

The Government Flats fire began to encroach on Forest Service lands Monday, August 19th. To facilitate fire crews and engine traffic the following roads and recreational areas will be temporarily closed as of August 20 until further notice:

Knebal Campground due to the closure on the 1720 Road
1722 (east boundary)
4430 (north of 8 Mile CG)
1720 (posted at both east and west ends)
1700.660
1711.630

stay updated at
http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mthood/alerts-notices
and
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3662/